Holocaust Centre of New Zealand

02/10/2026

We were very saddened to hear of the recent passing of celebrated UK broadcaster and humanitarian Dame Esther Rantzen z”l.

On the BBC’s show That’s Life!, in 1988, Dame Rantzen brought Sir Nicholas Winton z”l together with some of the 669 children he helped rescue from N**i-occupied Czechoslovakia and, in doing so, helped bring this little-known extraordinary story to the attention of the world.

May her memory be a blessing.

📖 Read the full BBC retrospective here: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3gr5ynd5p1o

01/10/2026

This weekend in London, marchers are gathering along Cable Street to mark the 90th anniversary of the 1936 Battle of Cable Street, the day when thousands united to block Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists from marching through the largely Jewish area of East London.

Featured prominently on a banner at the upcoming London rally is the face of Rachel “Raye” Regan z”l (née Brenner), a beloved past member of the Wellington Jewish community.

In her youth, Raye stood on the front lines in London, bravely joining the crowd to stop fascist hate in its tracks. She often spoke about the experience and how terrifying the horses were that day, as she and thousands of others stood their ground to protect their neighbours and deliver a resounding message: 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴.

As her son Mike, a member of the Holocaust Centre, noted, “this planned demonstration is a reminder of the Jewish struggle against antisemitism - at the heart of the Cable Street story” - a truth that must never be erased.

Raye’s courage reminds us that standing against antisemitism and all forms of hate requires strength, unity, and honouring our past accurately.

30/09/2026

Holocaust survivor, Nobel laureate, and human rights activist Elie Wiesel z”l was born on 30 September 1928 in Sighet, Romania.

His seminal memoir, ‘Night’, stands as a raw and unforgettable testament to the Holocaust. Written with stark clarity, it captures the loss of innocence, the fracture of faith, and the chilling reality of systemic hatred.

Yet throughout his works, Wiesel also captured moments of unyielding faith and human spirit.

In his novel ‘The Gates of the Forest’, he shared a story that deeply echoes as Jewish communities celebrate Sukkot and prepare for Simchat Torah: In a concentration camp, a group of Jews longed to celebrate Simchat Torah but had no Torah scroll. Then, one man stepped forward, lifted, and held a child as he would a scroll, and announced: "This will be our Torah!" In that moment, they danced. That child, as their scroll, symbolised that the story, the tradition, and the memory would survive.

On his birthday, we reflect on Elie Wiesel’s legacy: a quiet yet fierce call to moral conscience, reminding us that remembering historical truth and bearing witness is our shared duty. As we celebrate the giving of the Torah on Mt Sinai, we honour the writings and lives of Holocaust survivors who've given us their testimonies for remembrance.

Please note: The Holocaust Centre will be closed Thursday 1 Oct - Sunday 4 Oct for and . We look forward to seeing visitors on Monday 5 Oct.

29/09/2026

in 1941, one of the deadliest massacres of the Holocaust began in the Babyn Yar ravine outside Kyiv. Over just two days, 33,771 Jewish men, women, and children were marched to the ravine under the lie of "resettlement." Forced to surrender their valuables and strip off their clothes, they were shot at the edge of the ravine by Sonderkommando 4a of Einsatzgruppe C and local collaborators. Among the murdered was little Velvele Valentin Pinkert; he was only 5 years old (pictured, aged 3).

Velvele’s mother, Ida Pinkert (Krayz), was the director of an orphanage in Kyiv, which was evacuated further into the Soviet Union as German forces advanced. Ida herself left Kyiv on 18 September, one day before the N**i occupation. During her journey, she was caught in the crossfire and decided to turn back to return to Kyiv and rescue her son and mother. She arrived on the 1st of October and saw numerous notices ordering Jews to gather at the collection point at the Babyn Yar Ravine on September 29. She learnt later that day from her neighbours that her mother and son had been murdered alongside virtually the entire Jewish population of Kyiv.

We remember Velvele Valentin Pinkert and the other Jewish children, men, and women murdered 85 years ago at Babyn Yar. May their memory be a blessing.


Credit: https://collections.yadvashem.org/en/photos/70026

27/09/2026

Stolpersteine honour victims of N**i persecution where they lived and remind us of the human cost of hate. Erasing remembrance fuels Holocaust denial and antisemitism.

Germany's education minister has branded the ban on the small brass memorial plaques a "scandal".

25/09/2026

On the eve of the Jewish festival of Sukkot and Shabbat, we reflect on the fragility and resilience symbolised by the sukkah, a temporary shelter open to the elements.

These themes resonate through Jewish history, from wandering the desert in biblical times, to surviving the Holocaust, to confronting the rise of antisemitism today. Yet through every generation, the Jewish people rise to the challenge, responding with courage, faith, and the determination to rebuild.

Sukkot reminds us that even in times of darkness, we must create spaces of light and hope. At the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand, our light is education, and our hope is for everyone.

Shabbat Shalom & Chag Sukkot sameach. A happy Sukkot to all.

📍 Holiday Closure: Please note the Centre will be closed on Sunday 27 September.


Image 2: Jewish men gather in a communal sukkah in the Amberg displaced persons camp. Oct 1947. Credit: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Collections: 1990.87.25, Provenance: Abraham Malach.

24/09/2026

Connecting history to Aotearoa: 'We Were Just Children' shares the powerful firsthand stories of Holocaust survivors who went on to make New Zealand their home. Endorsed by the New Zealand History Teachers Association (NZHTA), these essential new teaching resources are now available.

We Were Just Children tells the stories of Holocaust survivors who went on to make their homes in New Zealand in an age-appropriate context.

19/09/2026

The New Zealand Police shared their visit to Temple Sinai and the Holocaust Centre, a positive initiative to build safer, more connected communities— and the wave of antisemitic comments in response highlighted exactly why such community engagement and Holocaust education are critical.

To the individuals who stepped up with supportive, kind comments, thank you for standing as lights amongst the darkness.

We must unite against antisemitism and bigotry.

Hate has no place.

Earlier this year, we had the opportunity to visit the Temple Sinai, a Synagogue in Wellington and the Holocaust Centre New Zealand to connect with members of the Jewish community.

These conversations and opportunities are an important part of understanding and fostering mutual respect, while helping to create safer, more connected communities across New Zealand.

17/09/2026

A moving feature on CBS Sunday Morning uncovers the liberation of a train near Magdeburg in April 1945, an extraordinary story of Holocaust survival that is currently being brought to the screen in an upcoming documentary.

This history hits close to home for us: Holocaust Centre of New Zealand board member Ben Kepes’ mother, Eva, was among the survivors aboard that train, along with her sister and mother.

As the Holocaust and WWII recede further into history and fewer survivors remain, sharing these firsthand accounts is more critical than ever.

Click below to watch the CBS feature and read the story.

Watch the official trailer for A Train Near Magdeburg here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPlhiypB_w0

A school oral history project to interview World War II veterans uncovered little-known stories from the conflict, including the liberation by American troops of 2,500 Holocaust survivors from a so-called "death train" in April 1945.

16/09/2026

Join us for an educational presentation with Kris Clancy, Education Director, exploring history and ancient roots.

𝗟'𝗗𝗼𝗿 𝗩'𝗗𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿:
𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗮 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗲 - 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱

Antisemitism didn't begin with the Holocaust. In this presentation, we trace the roots back through Persia, Ptolemaic Egypt, and Rome, from the Book of Esther to the destruction of the Second Temple, and show how these historical patterns echo in the tropes seen today. Understanding where these patterns began helps us recognise them now, which is why we start our education work with this deeper history.

𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲 & 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: Wednesday 30 September, 12 PM - 1.30 PM (NZST)
𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: In person in Wellington, or online via Zoom
Tickets at Humanitix: https://events.humanitix.com/from-persia-to-rome

Trace the ancient roots of prejudice from Persia to Rome. Join Kris Clancy for our next L'dor V'dor talk on Sept 30 (Wellington & Online).